Flocked
Flocked is an action adventure fairy tale serial written by Ryan Watt. Flocked is set in the world in which all fairy tales take place. People in need of help solving their problems, curses, monsters, mysterious riddles, can hire specialists in Guilds to help them. This story centers around the five members of the Guild of the Feathers. Each guild member is a survivor of a different fairy tale and is still dealing with the remnants of a curse. Together they hope to prevent others from ending up like them and also search for a cure to their problems. The story is being serialized on JukePop, updating every Sunday. Story Synopsis For several centuries people in need of help with mystical problems have asked for help from the Order of Champions. In the last few years the Order has begun to allow their Agents to found Guilds. The Guild of the Feathers, based out of Port Lyr, is the second guild founded. They are determined to prove the concept of guilds as viable, not only for the sake of the Order, but for themselves too. Four of the five members were once cursed into the form of birds and have some Remnant of the curse remaining. Their hope is to find some way to finally rid themselves of these Remnants once and for all while helping save others from similar fates. Each arc in the story sends guild members out on a different job, based on a real world fairy tale. As the arcs unfold, larger stories of the guild members past become revealed, as well as wider ranging issues for the world at large. Dark forces lie in shadows and the Guild of the Feathers seems to be on a collision course with them. Main Characters At present there are five members of the Guild. *Cyril - known as "The Cygnus", Cyril is the founder of the Guild, its leader, and an Agent of the Order of Champions. He is the youngest son of a noble family who spent years cursed as a Swan. After the curse was broken, he was left with one swan wing instead of a left arm. He has, through unknown means, become able to transform this wing for short periods of time into a sword. He is determined to prove that the Guild is relevant to the world, and ultimately hopes the Guild can find a cure to their curses. *Torias - also known as "The Blackwing", Torias is a master thief, who seems to have turned over a new leaf. He learned his skills during a long stretch of time where he was cursed into the form of a raven. Now that the curse is broken, he is only required to turn into a raven for one hour every day. He is least convinced that the guild is necessary, but wants to gain control over his curse. *Oleg - The youngest of the men in the group, Oleg was born as a duck due to a curse on his mother. He is now capable of turning back and forth between human and duck forms. This origin has given him a sense of wonder for magic and has begun studying it himself. He hopes to one day deconstruct their curses and find ways of resolving them once and for all. *Taree - The fairy pitta known as Taree is the youngest member of the Guild. She can only remember being a bird, although she can transform at will into a wooden bow, but after a strange encounter, other memories begin to surface. Taree acts as Guild messenger and views the world constantly with fresh eyes and doesn't understand a lot about the human world. *Satu - The newest member of the Guild, Satu is also the most secretive. There has been tragedy in her past involving her brothers, but she won't tell the others the truth. She also keeps secret the knowledge that she is an Agent of the Order. Satu owns a bag of magical items that have made her an expert at escapes. The guild also has several recurring friends and allies. * Safiya - A bird spirit fae, Safiya convinced the guild to hire her to work their tavern for them so she could earn enough favor to hire them for a job seeking out one of her kin who wronged the guild previously. She is learning how to exist in human society. * Kess - Also known as 'The Bird of Truth,' the Guild met Kess while on a job. He reveals little about himself, and seems burdened by a well of knowledge about the world people are often seeking from him. While not a member of the Guild, he has taken up their office to roost their when not needed elsewhere. * Fanta Ghiro - An Officiant, or high ranking officer of the Order of Champions, Ghiro is the liaison between the Order and the Guild. She is a tough, seasoned Champion who wants to support the Guild in their actions so long as they do not damage the Order's name. * Nuraya - A young woman gifted learning to control a talent for enchantment, she is rescued from an overbearing adoptive parent and begins a journey of self-discovery into what it means to be the latest 'Snow-White'. * Anna and Gerhart - Known to each other as Sister Deer and Brother Dear, and to others as the Siblings, this pair are the other Agents of the Order in Port Lyr. They specialize in Hunting bounties and despite being nice people, are found to be quite annoying to the Guild members. * The Soldier - A dense layer of rumor and gossip surrounds the Champion known only as The Soldier. He is perceived as distant, powerful, intimidating, and awe inspiring. He thinks of himself as just a man who is trying to do good in the world. Story Arcs The series is divided into Volumes comprising several short arcs, usually centered around a job the Guild takes, that weave together into a larger arc. Currently, Flocked is in the middle of it's first Volume. Below are the arcs released as part of the story so far: Volume 1: Guild of the Feathers *''The Twelve Dancing Princesses'' - chapters 1-5 - The Guild is hired to discover the source of a curse affecting a royal family. They only have three nights to complete the task or suffer the consequences. *chapters 6-7 - The guild members return home, disconcerted by their last job, and are encouraged to take a new job by a representative of the Order. *''The Bog King's Daughter -'' chapters 8-16 - Two daughters have gone missing, one fourteen years ago, one three days ago. The guild must split up to investigate these disappearances. * chapters 17-21 - After the last case, one guild member is missing and held prisoner, and someone else shows up wanting to work for the guild in exchange for future help. Meanwhile, Torias debates a new Call. * The Master Thief - chapters 22 to 29 - Torias must play a double roll of contestant in a Challenge to catch a skilled thief, and be the thief himself trying to outsmart the best members of each guild. * chapters 30-31 - The guild tries to help a little girl, found on their doorstep, cursed. * The Bird of Truth - chapter 32 to 38 - Oleg sets out with a young peasant to track down a series of magical items that hopefully lead to her brother. * chapters 39-41 - Cyril, Torias, and Ghiro discuss the Guild's rival. Oleg and Kess fulfill a contract. Satu takes on a solo Call with familiar elements. * The True Bride - chapters 42-48 - An old friend hires Satu to protect him from a ghost, while the rest of the guild is hired by a woman seeking to reclaim the heart of the man she loves. * chapters 49-51 - Cyril and the Guild work to find a way to convince the Order of Champions to sanction taking the fight to their current antagonist * Koschei the Deathless - chapters 52-60 The Guild must travel back to the Under Kingdom to locate missing royals and face off with that realm's immortal Lord, as well as their own doubts. Volume 2 - Chain of Wings * chapters 61-63 - Several months later, the guild takes on several jobs, helping a boy find a lost key, and trying to locate a missing child. * Snow White, Fire Red - chapters 64-69 - The son of a wealthy family needs the Guild's help in tracking down Nuraya, a woman he believes is the only resolution to his curse. They find her trapped in a tower guarded by an Ogress. * chapters 70-72 - Cyril, Satu, and the heads of the other guilds are summoned to the Order's headquarters for a meeting. * The Tsarevna Frog - chapters 73-81 - Torias and Taree head to a distant kingdom to help the Tsar's son deduce the true identity of the talking frog he has been told be must marry. Meanwhile, Satu goes under cover to locate missing girls. * chapters 82-current - Oleg helps the Siblings hunt a monster while on the trail for Trudie, while Kess is sent on a mission to help Nuraya. Spin-Offs Flocked is designed to be a self-contained series, set in a broader world of adventures and characters. So far, one additional story has been published as part of the Flocked universe. The Soldier and the Traveling Companion This novella focuses on the Champion known only as The Soldier as he goes on a journey to the kingdom of Brenz to try and resolve a curse on the royal family. Along the way he travels with a merchant who is both gregarious and disconcerting to the Soldier. The pair will have the young friendship tested in many ways as they ask themselves what is the cost of friendship, of resolving a curse, and of oneself. Heroes of the Fabled Age An anthology series detailing adventures of various Champions throughout the Order's three hundred year history. Stories include: * Where You End, Not Where You Start: ''A group of hunters preparing to take on a beast, tell stories of the first Champion * ''Bone Songs: The Siblings, Anna and Gerhardt, hunt a wild boar that should already be dead, and find their bond of blood tested. * ''The Winter Rose: ''A young girl journeys into the harshness of Winter to locate an ingredient to heal her sick stepmother. Links *Flocked at JukePop serials *The Soldier and the Traveling Companion at JukePop serials *Heroes of the Fabled Age at JukePop serials *Guild of the Feathers on Twitter Category:Adventure Category:Ongoing story